Phuket Airport Director Hails Anti-Cheat Measures A Success

[Lite Beer]

Phuket Airport director hails anti-cheat measures a success

Phuket Gazette –

Phuket International Airport Director Prateung Sornkham declared the security measures recently implemented to protect arriving passengers a success. Photo: Orawin Narabal

PHUKET: Security measures taken at Phuket International Airport to prevent airport service staff, such as illegal taxi drivers, from taking advantage of tourists were declared successful yesterday by Airport Director Prathuang Sornkham.

The announcement follows Police joining forces to launch a campaign in March to put a stop to illegal taxi drivers overcharging people, and to stop tour guides and touts from harassing arriving passengers before they leave the airport.

“Though sometimes people tried to cheat tourists or steal their belongings, we did our best to control and eliminate the problem, so as to make tourists feel 100 per cent safe while they are at the airport,” Mr Prathuang explained.

He added that the airport was critical in providing new arrivals with a positive image of Phuket as it is the first place they see when arriving on the island.

Also at the press conference, held at the airport, Mr Prathuang noted that the airport renovation project was scheduled to start in August and be complete by the beginning of 2015.

The renovated airport will be able to handle about 12.5 million passengers.

“Last year, we had a total of about 8.4mn passengers, but our airport was designed to handle only about 6.5mn," he said.

"Already this year, we have seen a 12 per cent increase in the number of passengers month on month compared with last year,” he said.

Source: http://www.phuketgazette.net/archives/articles/2012/article16312.html

-- Phuket Gazette 2012-07-01

[Soupdragon]

And in the other news, world poverty has been eradicated, bankers are nice people really and the moon is found to be indeed made of blue cheese.

[Valentine]

Seems to contradict the other story which stated they do not even have a contractor for the renovation/upgrade. And another thread stating the touts are still out in force at the airport.

[LivinginKata]

Do they think anyone believes this rubbish ... I find this offensive.

[steelepulse]

I'll have whatever the airport director has taken as it's a ticket to fantasy land.

[LivinginKata]

And in the other news, world poverty has been eradicated, bankers are nice people really and the moon is found to be indeed made of blue cheese.

Good response. What planet are these people living on.

[hansgruber]

April fool's 3 months late.

[KarenBravo]

Wasn't there an article about no construction companies have bid on the airport expansion, yet, the director claims that work starts in August?

The man should be removed from his job for insulting everyone's intelligence.

[Jimi007]

The announcement follows Police joining forces to launch a campaign in March to put a stop to illegal taxi drivers overcharging people, and to stop tour guides and touts from harassing arriving passengers before they leave the airport.

Well they may have announced the campaign in March, but the airport was full of taxi touts when I arrived last week. Yet another failure of the Thai Police and other local government officials...

Edited July 1, 2012 by Jimi007

[necronx99]

Wasn't there an article about no construction companies have bid on the airport expansion, yet, the director claims that work starts in August?

The man should be removed from his job for insulting everyone's intelligence.

You're assuming there will be an actual genuine tender.

[Youbloodybeauty]

prevent airport service staff, such as illegal taxi drivers, from taking advantage of tourists

Not only tourists. I've a relative working for the airport and whoever is paying them is screwing them over.

[yummypizza]

I do believe they are trying and it is a thorn in their side BUT...another media show,can we at least , pretty please, see the Police arrest list of scamers as hard evidence of this successful work??????,

[LivinginKata]

I do believe they are trying and it is a thorn in their side BUT...another media show,can we at least , pretty please, see the Police arrest list of scamers as hard evidence of this successful work??????,

You really think so. Ask me and I say they are trying to preserve and take a bigger slice of the 'tea money' cake.

[yummypizza]

I do believe they are trying and it is a thorn in their side BUT...another media show,can we at least , pretty please, see the Police arrest list of scamers as hard evidence of this successful work??????,

You really think so. Ask me and I say they are trying to preserve and take a bigger slice of the 'tea money' cake.

You are right of course and at the end of the day,that's always the issue,that Bloody tea money...

[Zpete]

And in the other news, world poverty has been eradicated, bankers are nice people really and the moon is found to be indeed made of blue cheese.

OI!!

Green cheese.

[NamKangMan]

Do they think anyone believes this rubbish ... I find this offensive.

In the west, you have "spin doctors" who can, basically, change a negative story into a postive one, but I don't view this as "spin' but just blatant lies.

Give it the credit it deserves, and laugh at it for the sick joke it is. :)

[snamos]

Takes a cheat to catch a cheat

[NamKangMan]

April fool's 3 months late.

Ahhh, isn't there 365 April fools days here a year? :) :)

[madmitch]

According to Simon43, there is now a sign with taxi fares clearly stated. So, after spending 500 baht of the whatever budget they had and splitting the rest between the airport officials they can declare the campaign a success.

[NamKangMan]

Takes a cheat to catch a cheat

Should tourists feel cheated that the cheat who should be catching the cheats, is not, and is just joining in on the cheating, making just another cheat on Phuket? :) :)

[anon10]

The man gets 50 baht a day from all those black taxis who enter his airport, this group is at least 300 taxis big. They pay him every month so nearly 450,000 baht extra ONLY!

[billd766]

And in the other news, world poverty has been eradicated, bankers are nice people really and the moon is found to be indeed made of blue cheese.

OI!!

Green cheese.

Whooppeeee

I have a slaice of the moon in my fridge or is it some cheese that has cahnged colour. What ever it looks dangerous to me.

[steelepulse]

The man gets 50 baht a day from all those black taxis who enter his airport, this group is at least 300 taxis big. They pay him every month so nearly 450,000 baht extra ONLY!

He's got nothing on the Patong co op unless you add some zeros.

[airconsult]

Wasn't there an article about no construction companies have bid on the airport expansion, yet, the director claims that work starts in August?

The man should be removed from his job for insulting everyone's intelligence.

You're assuming there will be an actual genuine tender.

I was carefully informed of one airport "tender" process (and it wasn't suvarnabhumi), where you had to kick 30% of total value in before your bid was even considered...... But Phuket and AOT have a little more scrutiny over them, so I'm not implying that's happening here.

Probably just a case of over-specifying and ridiculously high contractual penalties for delayed delivery. I still remember having to turn up to face NBIA (New Bangkok Intl Airport Ltd) to explain why they shouldn't apply late delivery penalties for equipment installation to us. (There were no walls on the main terminal building at the time)

[sportsman69]

Wasn't there an article about no construction companies have bid on the airport expansion, yet, the director claims that work starts in August?

The man should be removed from his job for insulting everyone's intelligence.

You're assuming there will be an actual genuine tender.

I was carefully informed of one airport "tender" process (and it wasn't suvarnabhumi), where you had to kick 30% of total value in before your bid was even considered...... But Phuket and AOT have a little more scrutiny over them, so I'm not implying that's happening here.

Probably just a case of over-specifying and ridiculously high contractual penalties for delayed delivery. I still remember having to turn up to face NBIA (New Bangkok Intl Airport Ltd) to explain why they shouldn't apply late delivery penalties for equipment installation to us. (There were no walls on the main terminal building at the time)

Can believe.

Likewise not Phuket but swampy, a very good friend since deceased, a well respected engineer and concrete expert was " invited " to do a survey and report his findings on the concrete cracks in the new runway for a very good fee. He did a quick ringaround the trade and respectfully declined. I think from memory about 6 months after the time a German I think, who was an engineer for a consulting firm on the airport construction was found blown to bits in a rubber field near Pattaya under very suspicious circumstances. I think it was diagnosed as suicide as his hands were tied behind his back.

This one here seems Mafia 1 can't seem to work it out with Mafia 2

By the way how's the project going with updating the airport to A380 status

650 in cattle class down one airbridge, yer just gotta laugh, maybe they'l use prods !

Gotto go, close the windows, just saw a formation of pigs go by